Category: z-News

This new addition to our Arts Leadership map gives musicians of all levels a place to practice and share their music! When violinist and conductor Eli Spindel moved to New York in 2006, he didn’t feel like he was a part of a musical community – so he decided to create his own! In the […]

From the Top’s broadcast for Show 224 was taped in Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA on Friday December 03, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: Rachel Rodgers, 15, flute Carnival of Venice By Giulio Briccialdi First of all, this piece is […]

This new addition to our Arts Leadership map focuses on creative arts advocacy through music history. While teaching a course in American Popular Music, Concordia University professor and classical guitarist Kim Perlak was moved by how inspired her students were by those who made a positive impact in society through music, history, and service. She […]

We are pleased to announce the full release of From the Top’s new mobile app! Powered by Instant Encore, the mobile tool gives fans up-to-the minute access to From the Top’s podcasts, videos, radio show clips, news updates, concert listings and more. The application is available through the iTunes store and Android Market. It requires […]

Last week we shared a fantastic article on preparing for college auditions, written by From the Top alum Ren Martin-Doike. In the article, Ren mentioned a technique from violinist William Harvey, From the Top alum and founder of Cultures in Harmony. When William reappeared on From the Top in 2009 as part of our 10th […]

This recent addition to our Arts Leadership map is inspirational! When Gregg Breinberg  started working at P.S. 22 in 1999, the lack of a music program meant teaching second grade. The next year, Gregg asked the administration to let him start a chorus and become a full-time music teacher. Despite arts budget cuts, the school […]

We’re back in Boston after taping a show this past weekend at the Zoellner Performing Arts Center on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful show in all respects, starting with the opening act: flutist Rachel Rodgers, 15, who played Giulio Briccialdi’s Carnival of Venice. In addition to playing classical, […]

Bravo to the hundreds of young musicians who joined From the Top and Carnegie Hall’s Big Break contest. They all did a wonderful job preparing their entries, we couldn’t be more impressed – congrats to all! For the moment, please enjoy the gallery of submissions at http://www.YouTube.com/BigBreak, and give these young musicians a well deserved […]

We are celebrating the achievements and future developments of our 2010 Margaret Stewart Lindsay Arts Leadership Award recipients. These five individuals represent the first cohort of From The Top’s Margaret Stewart Lindsay Award (MSL) projects and are all inspiring examples of leadership. Now, one year after it all started, we ask our MSL recipients to reflect […]

This week’s From the Top show was taped in Benson Great Hall at Bethel University during the Young Artists World Piano Festival in St. Paul, MN on Tuesday July 13, 2010. We asked our performers to tell us about the music they performed on the show: William Yang, 9, piano Scherzo No. 1 in B […]

Last week we posted a great Arts Leadership project that was created and executed by alum Kara Sainz (soprano). We just got word that Kara has won a $10,000 award from the Young Musicians Foundation/ASCAP in Los Angeles! This Leiber & Stoller Scholarship is particularly special because it’s only awarded to one graduating high school senior […]

Years ago a 13-year-old pianist from Centrailia, Washington wowed us with a performance of Taccotta by Gian Carlo Menotti. Now 21, Charlie Albright has won both the coveted 2010 Gilmore Young Artist Award and the 2009 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, and is preparing to make his debut in the Young Concert Artist Series in […]

Whether it be performing a benefit concert for charity or simply encouraging others to attend a live performance, the future of music depends on the contribution of those who possess the knowledge and the means. As performers and fans of music, we must adapt a selfless approach to preserve an art form that stands as […]

This week in Links we Like, we encounter a diverse group of events in music. From “the good” found in promoting music education, “the bad” in cheating the music industry, to “the funny” in charades, we see how music is a constant influence in our daily lives. El Sistema Goes Global: El Sistema is truly […]

Sharing the music, passion and experiences of our performers with other young people is a vital part of From the Top’s Arts Leadership Program and we’re always excited to have new opportunities in each city we visit. Two weeks ago, From the Top had a great opportunity to meet and play for kids at the […]

Hi everyone! Here is another installment of the Links We Like series. This week’s stories all deal with the breaking of conventions and the exploration of alternate concepts in the classical music world. We hope you enjoy them, and happy early Fourth of July! Composer or Imposter – Is Creativity Solely a Human Trait? When […]

Here in the From the Top office, we’re still on a high from the incredible taping Tuesday night at Symphony Hall, where we teamed up with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops! What an exciting show this was. From start to finish, it featured one phenomenal performance after another. Four of the young musicians who […]

Earlier this week, we introduced you to a pair of young musicians who were successful in raising more than $5,000 for Alzheimer’s research. Today we’re going to give you the scoop on the other projects Iowa musicians are working on through From the Top’s Arts Leadership program. Meet Hayley – a high school clarinetist from […]

Pianist and Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Nicholas King appeared on From the Top in May 2008 in New Albany, Ohio, where he performed the opening movement of Beethoven’s “Waldstein” Sonata.  If you don’t know the story of how Nick got started on the piano, listen to his From the Top appearance. Nick emailed us […]

For the past two years, From the Top and Orchestra Iowa have collaborated on a project called Iowa Makes Music. One component of this residency is our Arts Leadership program, which provides high school age classical musicians with intensive arts leadership training and one-on-one mentoring to help them develop and lead their own music-inspired service […]